Machine for opening envelops.



H. D. TAYLOR. I

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED mac. s. 1913.

Patented May 9,1916.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET]- anuamto'c Wiimeooeo (lttormma THE COLUMBIA PLANODRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, D. C.

H. DJTAYLOR.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED mac. s. 1913.

1, 182,054. Patented May 9, 1916.'

a SHYEETSSHEET 2.

3114noz attozn ua H. D. TAYLOR.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1913.

' Patented May 9,1916.

3 SHETSSHEET,3.

Q vMe/aoeo 1 32 UNTTEE @TATES PATENT HENRY D. TAYLOR, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. TO LIGHTNING LETTER OPENER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9;, 1911.

Application filed December 6, 1913. Serial No. 805,142.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY D. TAYLOR, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Opening Envelope, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to machines for opening envelops, and an object thereof is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which will feed envelops along a guide to the cutting mechanism and, at the same time, shape the envelop on its contents so that the envelop may be out without cutting the contents.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinaf er de-' scribed, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line a.a, Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 41: is a section on the line ])-7), Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the feeding mechanism and the cutting mechanism enlarged and partially in section; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cutting mechanism; Fig. 7 a detail sectional view on the line cc, Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the tapering guide; and Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 are detail views of the presser shoe or device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the base which is of hollow formation and is preferably closed at the top of a removable work support or table which may have the guide in the form of a flange 3 projecting upwardly therefrom at the inner edge thereof. As the table 2 does not entirely close the top of the casing, a strip at is employed for this purpose and is arranged in rear of the guide flange 3.

The machine employs a cutting mechanism of any suitable construction cooperating upon the envelope as they pass along the guide. This cutting mechanism may comprlse a beveled cutting disk Darranged within the base member 1 and operating through an opening 6 formed at the pinetion of the table 2 and the guide flange 3. Cooperating with the cutter 5 is a beveled disk cutter 7 operating within a circular opening 8 formed in the guide flange 3 and merging into the opening 6 where the two cutters overlap, their plane faces being in abutment. The cutter 7 may be supported by a stub shaft 9 which turns in a bearing 10 of a bracket 11 projecting upwardly from the base lin rear of the guide flange; and a leaf spring 12 bears'at its free end against the outer end of the stub shaft 9 in order to hold the cutting disk 7 against the cutting disk 5 so that the latter will drive the former bysueh engagement. The driving of the disk 5 may be effected by a drive shaft 13 journaled in the base 1 at 14: to eX- tend from opposite sides of the latter. At the front end of the shaft, a crank handle 15 is secured so that'the machine may be manually driven. At the rear end of the shaft, a large pulley wheel 16 is arranged and is connected by a belt 17 to a small pulley 18 on the shaft 19 which is journaled at 20 in the base member 1 to extend at one end within the base member and at the other end to the rear of the base'member. The pulleyld is rigidly secured to the shaft at the rear of the base member and has a fly wheel 21 formed thereon. Within. the base member, the shaft 19 is provided with a collar 22 abutting the end. of the bearing :20 so that the shaft has longitudinal movement prevented by the collar .22 and the pulley 18. Also arranged upon the shaft 19 is the cutter 5. c p

In connection with the machine, it is desirable to employ a feeding mechanism which will feed the envelops in the direction of the length of the guide and also laterally toward the guide. This mechanism comprises preferably an endless belt or carrier 23 having a circular cross section, this belt having two movements imparted thereto,

one in the direction of the length of the belt being caused by the usual movement of an endless driving belt, and the other toward the guide being caused by turning the belt during the traveling movement, that is, producing a lateral movement in the belt as a I which turns the whole during such traveling movement. These two movements of the belt may be accomplished in any suitable manner but it is preferred to employ two pulleys 24 and 25 operating in planes at angles to each other, this angular arrangement of the pulleys causing the twisting or turning movement belt toward the uide flange. In this instance, the pulley 24 1s arranged on the shaft 19 and also serves as a means for holding the cutter 5 to the shaft 19, being for this purpose internally threaded at 26 to engage thethreaded end 27 of the shaft 19 so that the hub 28 of the pulley may be moved into engagement with the cutter 5 to hold the latter against the shoulder formed by the collar 22. The pul ley 25 is arranged on the shaft 29 which turns on a bearing 30 within the base frame 1, the pulley abutting one end of the bearing 30 and a collar 31 on the shaft 29 abutting the other end of the bearing 30 to hold the shaft 29 against axial movement. This arrangement permits the feeding belt to be driven from the drive shaft 13 without additional driving mechanism for the feeding belt.

The arrangement of the pulleys not only causes the twisting or turning of the belt but it causes thebelt to operate in a plane at an angle to the guide, flange so as to push the envelops laterally toward the guide flange during the forward feeding movement. The lateral turning action of the belt also assists slightly in this lateral shifting of the envelops and in addition performs a further action, particularly on envelops with bulky contents, in which case the rolling of the belt tends to shift the underside of the envelop on its contents and thus present more loose material for passage through the grooved guide as will be described. The formation of this belt is novel and is effected by causing compression on one side of the longitudinal axis of the belt and tension on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis, the belt being formed from a strip of rubber or other strip of material of circular cross section having its ends cut at right angles and vulcanized together so that when the belt is passed about the pulleys, those portions in engagement with the pulleys will be under compression while the outer portion will be under tension. This rolling action may be further increased by incorporating a twist in the belt before uniting the ends the introduction of the envelops between the shoe and the feeding member. The shoe is undercut slightly to permit the next envelop to assume an advanced position with re1ation to the envelop being fed so that it may be more readily engaged by the endless belt or feeding member, thus giving a substantially continuous feeding action, and preventing any one envelop overlapping another after removal from the stack.

The under surface of the shoe may be provided with a move 44, lying at an acute angle to the guide 3 like the effective portion of the feeding belt so that the envelops are firmly grasped and pushed or forced not only forwardly but also laterally against the guide flange 3. The wall of this groove on the outer side thereof is of peculiar formation. At the inlet end of the groove, the wall projects downwardly below the other portions of the shoe at 45 to bear with greater pressure on the envelop and to act as a pivot about which the envelop can turn under the action of the feeding member in order to cause the envelop to swing during the first part of its movement against the guide 3 throughout its length. After the envelop has entered into the groove some distance, it is firmly held between the pressure device and the feed member, and owing to the angular arrangement of the feed member and the groove in the pressure device, it is forced laterally as a whole toward the guide 3. At the same time, the turning movement of the endless belt acts on the lower part of the envelop, and shifts the lower part relatively to the upper side to bulge the same on the contents. In order to relieve the upper face of the envelop 100 on the outer side of the guide groove, the wall 46 of said groove gradually inclines upwardly from the projection 45 until it merges into the top wall of the groove 44, this wall and the groove being finally out 105 away so that the upper poriton of the envelop on the outer side of the belt is not engaged by the presser foot during the cutting action or during the passageof proximate edge portion of the envelop through the 11 grooved guide, to be hereinafter described. The wall 47 of the presser foot between the groove 44 and the guide flange 3 is extended to a point beyond the cutting point of the cutting mechanism and bears on the upper 1 wall of the envelop in proximity to the edge to be cut, throughout the full length of the presser foot.

The presser foot or shoe is preferably yieldingly supported and to this end has an 120 upright portion 34 guided vertically within the pocket 35 of a bracket arm 36 which preferably extends from a guard or shield 37 that is bolted at 38 to the front face of the guide flange 3 over the cutting knife 125 or disk 7. A spring 39 is arranged within the pocket 35 and bears downwardly on the guide portion 34 to hold the presser foot 32 toward the feeding member 23.

About the time that the pressure of the presser foot is relieved from the upper surface of the envelop on the outside of the feeding belt or member, the proximate edge of the envelop, is being passed through a device for forming an edge on theenvelop beyond the contents for presentation to the cutting mechanism. The edge-forming device is preferably inthe form of a tapering groove, the smallest width of: which is in proximity to the cutting mechanism; This groove may be formedlby two converging lugs or projections 48 extending laterally from the face of the guide flange 3'and, being in this instance, formed at opposite edges of a plate 49 which'is attached to the rear face of the guide flange and has the projections 48 thereof projecting through openings in the guide flange 3 in proximity to the cutting disk.

The projections 48 are of peculiar formation, the outer ends being widelyseparated and theirinner ends being separated about one sixth of an inch. Their eifectiveportions gradually de'crease'in width, their outer ends being about three thirty-seconds of an inch wide and their inner ends about one thirty-second of an inchwide. With this arrangement, and especially on envelops having bulky contents, the envelop, after being pressed against the guide flange 3 to flatten out one edge thereof, is then engaged on opposite sides of the center line of the flattened portion by the widely separated ends of the projections 48. This causes the contents and those portions of the envelop on opposite sides of the center line to be shifted away slightly from the guide, while the center line portion ofthe envelop is permitted to remain between the narrow endsof the guide projections without any of the contents being located in proximity to this edge of the envelop, so that, as the envelop is discharged from the narrow portion of the groove, it is in. condition to be acted upon by the cutting mechanism without any injury to the contents of the envelop.

With the purpose in view of supporting the envelops operating between the feeding belt and a guide flange, a spring finger 50 is secured at its outer end to the table and presses the envelop upwardlyagainst the portion 47 of the presser foot, the cooperation of this finger with the envelop being such that the latter is caused. to flatten out and to enter. between the guide projections and thus obtain the proper shape for cutting.

To adapt the machine for removing envelops, one at a time, from a pack and presenting them to the cutting mechanism, a stack holding means may be provided from which the envelops are removed by the feed ing member. holding means embodies a retaining wall 40 areferably carried b the end of the bracket 1 y 36and arranged in spaced relation at its In this instance, the stack lower end to the table 2' at a point directly over the forward end of the endless feed belt 28 but in advance of the deflected end 33 of the presser member 32. In advance of the feeding mechanism, an inclined device 41 or bar is arranged on the table to cooperate with the bottom of the stack of envelope in order that the envelops in the stack are inclined toward the feeding mechanism and the retaining wall 42, thus overcoming any tendency of the envelope to move away from the retaining wall and, at the same time, relieving the bottom envelop from friction on the feed table. 7

- The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing description, but it may be summarized as follows: The envelops are removed successively, one at a time, from the bottom of the stack by the feeding member 23 which carries them be neath the presser foot. During the first part of the movement of the envelop, the latter is engaged more firmlyby the projection 45 to one side of the plane of operation of the feeding member and its rear end is thrown against the guide flange 3. The envelop is then carried forward and grasped between the presser foot and the feeding member 28, these parts, at the same time, forcing the envelop laterally toward the guide 3 and this action being facilitated by the lateral rolling or turning movement of the belt, which in addition bulges the under side of the envelop on the contents so as to present more loose material to the edge to be cut. This bulgedportion is flattened out by the presser finger 50, and, at the same time, the proximate edge of the envelop cooperates with the tapering guide which draws up the edge from the contents and presents the draw-up portion to the cutting mechanism. About the time that the en velop is presented to the edge-forming device and the presser finger 50, it is relieved on the outer side of the feeding member so a that the envelop will not be crowded against the cutting mechanism.

' A machine constructed in accordance with this invention makes it possible to handle practically all kinds of mail matter contained. in envelops, without injury to the contents of the envelops. The envelops are fed forward to a cutting mechanism and laterally against a guide which directs them to the cutting mechanism. The envelope are formed on their contents in such a manner that an edge is presented to the cutting mechanism free from the contents.

The feeding mechanism acts to hold the envelop firmly after shifting the latter laterally so that the cutting mechanism does not have to perform any feeding action. As one ofthe cutters rotates freely, and is not driven with the other except by frictional contact, there is little or no danger to the edges of the cutting knives through the engagement of the knives with paper fasteners and pins.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing the envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt having its effective portion traveling in a line at an acute angle to the guide to carry the envelops to the cutting mechanism.

2. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless. belt for operating on one facev of an envelop to move it along the guide to the cutting mechanism, and a presser foot arranged to operate on the opposite face of the envelop.

3. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops t0 the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt for operating on one face of an envelop to move it along the guide to the cutting mechanism, and a presser foot arranged to operate on the op posite face of the envelop, said presser foot having a groove opposite to the effective portion of the belt.

4. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt for operating on one face of an envelop to move it along the guide to the cutting mechanism, and a presser foot arranged to operate on the opposite face of the envelop, said presser foot having a groove opposite to the effective portion of the belt, the effective portion of the belt and the groove in the presser foot being at acute angles to the guide. I

The combination with a cutting mechanism, of a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, an endless belt for operating on one face of an envelop to move it along the guide to the cutting mechanism and a device for exerting pressure on the envelop on that side of the belt opposite to the guide and in proximity to the receiving portion of the belt in order to cause the envelop to turn on said device as a pivot so that its rear end may be thrown against the guide.

6. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism embodying a feeding member, and a presser foot carrying a portion situated to engage each envelop with a preponderant on that side of the feeding member opposite the guide at such a point as to cause said envelop to turn on said portion as a guide.

7. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism embodying an endless belt for operating on one side of an envelop and a presser foot for operating on the other side of the envelop, said presser foot carrying a portion which engages the envelop with greater pressure on that side of the feeding belt opposite the guide and near the intake end of the belt. 7

8. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism embodying an endless belt and a presser foot, the presser foot being grooved opposite the belt and having a portion on the outer side of the groove near the intake end of the belt, depending below the other portions of the presser foot to act as a pivot on which the envelops are swung by the feed belt against the guide at the commencement of the feeding action.

9. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism embodying an endless belt and a presser foot, the presser foot being grooved opposite the belt and having a portion on the outer side of the groove near the intake end of the belt, depending below the other portions of the presser foot to act as a pivot on which the envelops are swung by the feed belt against the guide at the commencement of the feeding action, the wall of the presser foot on the outer side of the groove gradually inclining upwardly from said depending portion to relieve the pressure on the upper surface of the envelop on the outside of the belt.

10. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism for moving the envelops to the cutting mechanism comprising an endless feed belt having its effective portion traveling at an acute angle with the guide to oper ate on one side of the envelop, and a presser foot for operating on the opposite side of the envelop and having a groove opposite to the effective portion of the endless belt and at an acute angle to the guide, the presser foot being cut away at the discharge end of the groove to relieve the upper surface of the envelop.

11.. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism for moving the envelops to the cutting ,mechanism comprising an endless belt having its effective portion traveling at an acute angle to the guide, and a presser, foot having, on the outer side thereof, a groove opposite the effective portion of the belt and at an acute angle to the guide, the wall of the presser foot on the outside of the groove and atthe intake end of the belt, depending below the other portions of the presser foot and inclining upwardly from said depending portion, and the presser foot being cut away at the'discharge end of the groove on the outside of the latter to relieve the upper side of the envelop. I

12. In a machine for opening envelops, the oombinationwith a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing the envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt of circular cross section having its effective portion traveling in the direction of the line of feed through the machine and also having a lateral turning movement toward the guide.

13. Ina machine for opening envelops, the combination with the" cutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a pair of pulleys arranged to operate in planes at angles to each other, and an endless belt of circular cross section connecting said pulleys and having its effective portion traveling in the direction of the lineof feed through the machine and also turning laterally toward the guide. 1

14:. In a machine foropening envelops, the combination with acutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, I of a yieldingly-mounted presser foot arranged tooperate on one side of envelops passing to the cutting mechanism, and a feeding member arranged to operate on the other side of the envelops, said member .having'its effective portion traveling in the direction'of the length of feed through the machine to feed the envelops to the cutting mechanism and having its effective portion also movable laterally toward the guide. a

15. In a machine" the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide along which the envelops are moved to the cutting mechanism, of a presser foot arranged to operate on one side of envelops passing'to the cuttingmechanism, a pair of pulleys arranged to operate 1n planes at angles to each other, and an endless belt of circular cross section connecting said pulleys for operating on the other side of theenvelop. Y I 1 16. In a machine. for opening envelops, the combination with a table having a guide flange provided with a circular opening, an

opening also being provided at the junction of the table and the flange to communicate with the circular: opening, of a cutting ting mechanism.

for opening. envelops,

mechanism embodying two cutters, one mounted in the circular opening and the other operating through the opening at the junction of the table and the guide flange, a guard rigidly secured to the guide flange over the cutter operating in the circular opening, a feeding member operating through the table to move the envelops to the cutting mechanism, and a pressure device yieldingly mounted on the guard.

17.;In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism for theenvelopsembodying an endless belt arrangedto operate on the envelops from a point in advance of the cutting point of the cutting mechanism to a point beyond said cutting point, and meanscooperating with the belt to cause the envelops to shift in parallelismwith the guide and to be clamped between said means and belt after such shifting so as to maintain a parallel relation with the guide during the remainder of the feeding action.

18. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination'with a cutting mechanism, and a guide plate fordirecting envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a pair of converging projections extending from the guide plate and having their nearest portions in proximity. to the cutting point of the cut- 19'. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, of a guide for directing envelops to the cuttingmechanism, and two converging projections on the guide through which an edge of an envelop is caused to pass, the nearest portions of said projections being in proximity to the cutting mechanism and said projections being wider at their most widely separated portions and gradually decreasing in width toward their nearest portions.

20. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with'a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, said guide having a guide groove tapering toward the cutting. mechanism, of a presser foot for operating on the upper surface of an envelop movable the combination with a cuttingmechanlsm and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a "table on which the envelops travel, a feeding member operating through the table to carry the envelops to the cutting mechanism and havinga lat-" ing along the guide flange, of a retaining eral movement to deflect or bulge the under wall of the envelops, a pressure device acting on the bulged portion of the envelop, and a yieldingly mounted presser foot for operating on theupper surface of the envelop opposite thefeeding device and the lower pressure device.

22. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a stack holding means for a pack of envelops, of a guide leading from said stack holding means to the cutting mechanism, and feeding mechanism for removing envelops one by one from the stack holding means and delivering them to the cutting mechanism, said feeding mechanism having provision for moving the envelops; laterally toward the guide.

23. In a machine for openingenvelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a stack holding means for a stack of envelops, of a guide leading from the stack holding means to the cutting mechanism, and an endless feed belt leading from the stack holding means to a point beyond the cutting point of the cutting mechanism to carry envelops from the stack holding means to the cutting mechanism, and a yieldingly mounted pressure device cooperating with the endless feed belt between the stack holding means and the cutting mechanism.

, 24. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a table,a guide flange extending along the table and a cutting mechanism for operating on envelops movwall arranged above the table in spaced relation to the latter, and a feed member operating through the table and beneath said retaining wall to remove the lowermost envelop of a stack resting against said retaining wall and to carry the envelop to the cutting mechanism, and a yieldingly mount- .ed pressure device cooperating with the feed member between the stack holding means and the cuttlng mechanism.

, 25. In a machine for opening envelops,

the combination with a table, a guide flange extending alongfthe table and a cutting .mechanism for operatmg upon envelops movable along the gulde flange, ofa retaining wall supported above and in spaced relation to the table, and an endless belt op erating from a point in proximity to the retaining wall to a point beyond the cutting point of the cutting mechanism, and a yieldingly mounted pressure device cooperating with the feed belt between the retainingwall and the cutting mechanism.

26. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a table, a guide flange extending along the table and a cutting mechanism for operating upon envelops movable along the guide flange. of a retain-V ing wall supported aboie and in spaced relation to the table, and an endless belt oplation to the table, and an endless belt opcrating from a point in proximity to the retaining wall to a point beyond the cutting point of the cutting mechanism, and an inclined bar arranged on the table to support a stack of envelops in an inclined position against the retaining wall.

28..In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a feed table, a guide flange extending along the table and a cutting mechanism for operating upon envelops movable on the guide, of a retaining wall supported above the feed table in spaced relation to the latter, an endless feed belt arranged to engage the lowermost envelop of a stack supported on the table against the retaining wall to carry said envelop to the cutting mechanism and a presser foot for operating on the envelops to hold them to theendless feed belt.

29. In a machine for opening envelops,.

the combination with a feed table, a guide flange extending along the table and a cutting mechanism for operating upon envelops movable on the guide, of a retaining wall supported above the feed table in spaced relation to the latter, an endlessfeed belt arranged to engage the lowermost envelop of a stack supported on the table againstthe retaining wall to carry said envelop tov the cutting mechanism and a presser foot for operating on the envelops to hold themrto the endless. feed belt, said presser foot having its end adjacent. to the compression and its outermost portion untion. I

'31. In a machine'for opening envelops,

der tension and being of circular cross sec= the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt of also having a twist incorporated therein to circular cross section for carrying the enfacilitate the turning action.

velops to the cuttin mechanism said belt turning laterally tov varol the guide, having HENRY TAYLOR its innermost portion under compression and its outermost portion under tension and being of circular cross section and said belt lVitnesses:

HAROLD H. SIMMS, ADA M. VVHi'rMoRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

